Vv. 13: "Is any one of you in trouble? He should pray. Is anyone happy? Let him sing songs of praise."
This final section of James' letter is a summary of everything he’s already written to them. He brings it down to the crux of the matter:
P-R-A-Y.
- He began his letter telling the readers to pray to God for wisdom if they lacked it (1:5).
- He told them that they are only in want of anything because they don’t pray to God for what they lack (4:1-2).
- And now he closes the letter by telling them to pray.
With all of this emphasis on prayer throughout, it may surprise you as it did me that the actual word "pray" doesn't appear until here at the end i this closing section, and shows up here 7 times.
According to the book
All The Men Of The Bible by Herbert Lockyer, we have non-biblical writings from the first century AD which say that James’ friends nicknamed him “Camel’s Knees” because he spent so much time on his knees praying. That intense prayer life produced James’ intense, practical, teaching and writing.
James tells us to pray when we’re suffering and sing songs of praise when we're happy.
Vv. 14-15: "Is any one of you sick? He should call the elders of the church to pray over him and anoint him with oil in the name of the Lord. 15 And the prayer offered in faith will make the sick person well; the Lord will raise him up. If he has sinned, he will be forgiven."When someone is sick, three things should happen:
1. The sick person should call the elders
2. The elders should pray and anoint him
3. The Lord will make the sick person well, raise him up, and forgive him for sins
The word translated “Anoint” here (
aleipho) simply means "pour" or "rub." Jesus used this word to describe Mary Magdalene
pouring perfume on Jesus’ feet (John 11:2). It was a common Greek word, used in many contexts. It was even used for the act of plastering walls.
It carried with it the sense of either administering medicine or serving a person by helping them look as presentable as possible – much like a group of women getting together with a sick sister to fix her hair, do her makeup and nails, etc. so she looks as good as she can.
James is saying here that the Elders should serve the sick man by praying over him, lifting his spirit, and seeing that he receives proper medical care. They should also do these things “in the name of the Lord” – i.e., invoking God’s will in the situation.
James says 3 things will come out of this in v.15:
1. It will make the sick person well,
2. The Lord will raise him up, and
3. If he has sinned, he will be forgiven
Regarding “will make the sick person well,” it literally reads “
will make him safe.” The NASB translates it “
will restore him,” the KJV and RSV translate it “
will save him.”
It is the same word used in v. 20, “
Whoever turns a sinner from the error of his way will save him from death.” The idea here is that if you pick up his spirits, administer medicines, and pray with him you will restore his fellowship with God.
Vv. 16-18: Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous man is powerful and effective. Elijah was a man just like us. He prayed earnestly that it would not rain, and it did not rain on the land for three and a half years. Again he prayed, and the heavens gave rain, and the earth produced its crops. How does this tie into verses 14-15? They go together because sickness can result from unconfessed sin. We should confess our sins to each other and pray for each other to avoid sickness.
Notice the phrase “to one another.” This is a strong indication that James is talking about one-on-one confession of sins - rather than public confessions or simply confessing only to God. He is not requiring (nor even suggesting) that someone publicly bare all. It should happen through personal relationships – which, of course, means we must have those personal relationships in place.
This is similar to
Galatians 6:1-2: “
Brothers, if someone is caught in a sin, you who are spiritual should restore him gently. But watch yourself, or you also may be tempted. Carry each other's burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ.”
Another qualification for an effective prayer is that it comes from someone who is righteous, like Elijah. And just look at the results his prayers resulted in!
The usual Greek word for “prayer” is
euchē, which is what he used in v. 15. In this passage, however, he chose to use the word
deēsis, which denotes a passionate prayer out of distress. Here are some other passages in the NT that use this word for prayer:
- 1 Timothy 5:5 - The widow who is really in need and left all alone puts her hope in God and continues night and day to pray and to ask God for help.
- 2 Timothy 1:3 - I thank God, whom I serve, as my forefathers did, with a clear conscience, as night and day I constantly remember you in my prayers.
- Hebrews 5:7 - During the days of Jesus' life on earth, he offered up prayers and petitions with loud cries and tears to the one who could save him from death, and he was heard because of his reverent submission.
- 1 Peter 3:12 - For the eyes of the Lord are on the righteous and his ears are attentive to their prayer, but the face of the Lord is against those who do evil.
Vv. 19-20 My brothers, if one of you should wander from the truth and someone should bring him back, 20 remember this: Whoever turns a sinner from the error of his way will save him from death and cover over a multitude of sins.
